Video Duration 01 minutes 43 seconds01:43

By Stephen Quillen and Abubakr Al-Shamahi

Published On 27 Oct 202427 Oct 2024

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• Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is campaigning on Sunday in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania.
• Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will be in the city where he first established himself, New York, to host a rally at the world-famous Madison Square Garden.

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• 3m ago (19:20 GMT)Harris makes pitch to Puerto RicansHarris has released a video message for residents of the US territory of Puerto Rico, promising to invest in the island in contrast to Trump, who she says “abandoned” it.“There is so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico,” said Harris in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, vowing to lower the cost of housing, invest in entrepreneurs, improve healthcare and boost the energy grid.She pointed to Trump’s response to a series of hurricanes that hit the island when he was president, accusing him of “blocking aid” and disparaging its residents.“I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after devastating back-to-back hurricanes and offered nothing but paper towels and insults,” said Harris.“Puerto Ricans deserve better. As president I will always fight for you”.While people living in Puerto Rico cannot vote in federal elections, there are millions of Puerto Ricans living in the mainland US who can vote.

• Democratic VP candidate Walz compares Trump MSG rally to Nazi event at same venueWe haven’t spoken about Tim Walz today, but he’s been campaigning in another battleground state, Nevada.In Henderson, just outside Las Vegas, Walz commented on Trump’s event this evening at Madison Square Garden, comparing it to a Nazi rally held at the venue in 1939.“There is a direct parallel to a rally that happened in the 1930s at Madison Square Garden,” he said. “And don’t think that he doesn’t know for one second exactly what they’re doing there.”That message ties in with attempts by the Harris campaign to portray Trump as a “fascist”.Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz poses for a selfie with supporters after speaking at a campaign event at Trevor Browne High School, Saturday, October 26, 2024, in Phoenix. [Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo]Click here to share on social media
• 39m ago (18:45 GMT)Could the Republicans lose the House? Five US congressional races to watchIt’s not just the presidency that will be contested in the November 5 elections of course – there’s a number of different electoral battles, including all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives.The Democrats will be hoping to take back control of the House – which along with the Democrat-controlled Senate makes up the US Congress – but that may be a difficult task as polls show a tight race.Many of the seats in the House are safe, and the incumbent is expected to win. But in some it will be closer – and they’re the seats that will be key to determining whether control of the House changes.Here’s a closer look at five of those close races, including seats in New York, North Carolina, California, Washington, and Alaska.There are approximately 34 toss-up races this November for the US House of Representatives [File: Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo]Click here to share on social media
• 54m ago (18:30 GMT)If you’re just joining usHere’s a look at what’s happening on the campaign trail, with nine days until the November 5 election:
  • Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is courting voters in Philadelphia, the biggest city in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, which she says is a “very important part of our path to victory”.
  • Harris spoke to attendees of the city’s Church of Christian Compassion, before visiting a local barbershop, highlighting her focus on education. A youth basketball facility and a Puerto Rican restaurant are also on her itinerary.
  • Trump supporters have started to turn up at New York’s Madison Square Garden, where the former president will give a high-profile speech this evening.
  • Several TV interviews aired with Trump’s running mate JD Vance, who defended Trump’s positions on NATO and the Ukraine war.
  • Trump and Harris remain locked in a dead heat in the polls as early voters continue to cast ballots. Some 40 million people have voted early so far.
  Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker looks on as Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris greets a woman during her visit at the Hakim’s Bookstore & Gift Shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 27 [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]Click here to share on social media
• 1h ago (18:20 GMT)Who is attending Trump’s Madison Square rally?Trump’s rally in Manhattan, New York, like Harris’s event in Houston, Texas on Friday with Beyonce, hopes to lean on star power to support local congressional candidates ahead of the November 5 election.But Trump’s guests appear to be more from the political and business world. According to his campaign, Elon Musk will be one of the featured speakers. Local media has reported that other guests will include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., presenter Tucker Carlson, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator JD Vance, US House Speaker Mike Johnson, Lara and Eric Trump, and Donald Trump Jr.Doors to the rally opened at 12 PM local time (16:00 GMT), and Donald Trump is expected to speak at around 5 PM (21:00 GMT), according to his campaign.A Trump supporter holds up a photograph of his face outside Madison Square Garden before the Republican presidential candidate’s rally in New York City [Julius Constantine/EPA-EFE]Click here to share on social media
• 1h ago (18:05 GMT)Trump supporters begin to arrive at New York’s Madison Square GardenThey’re early – Trump is expected to speak at 5pm local time (21:00 GMT).[Julius Constantine Motal/EPA-EFE][Julius Constantine Motal/EPA-EFE][Sarah Yenesel/EPA-EFE][Sarah Yenesel/EPA-EFE]Click here to share on social media
• 1h ago (17:50 GMT)How many people have voted early so far?With early voting well under way in the US, millions of people have already voted, either in person or by mail.As of Saturday, 39.5 million people had voted, which is lower than the 56 million who had voted by this point in the 2020 election. However, the unique circumstances of that election, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraged more people to vote early by mail.In nearly all the battleground states, however, early voting is on track with 2020 numbers, and even ahead in Nevada.People sign in to cast their votes on the first day of early voting at East Point First Mallalieu United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 15, 2024 [File: Megan Varner/Getty Images/AFP]Click here to share on social media
• 1h ago (17:35 GMT)Harris visits Philadelphia barbershopAs we’ve been reporting, Harris is spending time today in Philadelphia, the biggest city in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania.After speaking this morning at the city’s Church of Christian Compassion, Harris went to a barbershop in West Philadelphia, where she conversed with Black men about racial inclusion, education and student loans.“We don’t pay teachers enough,” Harris said at the PhillyCuts barbershop. “Student loan debt is an issue,” she added.Harris’s campaign has struggled to connect with Black men, who are supporting Trump in higher numbers than in 2020.Democratic US presidential candidate Kamala Harris at the PhillyCuts barbershop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 27 [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]Click here to share on social media
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• 2h ago (17:20 GMT)How much does Trump’s campaign owe to cities hosting rallies?Trump is heading to New York City’s famous Madison Square Garden for a rally this evening, but the venue’s owners will likely be hoping his campaign actually pays the bill for using the arena.That hasn’t been the case for several other rallies dating back to his 2016 campaign.In one particularly egregious case, the campaign owes the city of El Paso, Texas, more than $569,000 for a rally held in 2019.“The city continues to seek the payment of these past due expenses, so city taxpayers do not continue to bear the cost,” an El Paso spokesperson told Al Jazeera.Many cities now require the Trump campaign to pay up front.For more on the unpaid bills, you can read our story here.Click here to share on social media
• 2h ago (17:05 GMT)Musk denies report that he worked illegally in US in 1990sThe Washington Post initially reported on Saturday that South African-born billionaire Elon Musk had worked illegally in the United States for a brief period in the 1990s.The report said that Musk – now the world’s richest person and a Trump supporter – arrived in 1995 to attend Stanford University, but never enrolled in a graduate studies programme there, and instead developed a software company which he sold in 1999 for around $300m.The Post cites two former Musk colleagues who recalled that Musk only received his work authorisation in 1997. In a 2020 podcast, Musk said that he was “legally there”, in reference to his presence in the US, “but I was meant to be doing student work”. “I was allowed to do work sort of supporting whatever,” he added.Immigration law experts told the Post that Musk would have needed to be enrolled in a full course of study in order to maintain a valid work authorisation as a student.However, responding on Sunday, Musk denied the report.“I was on a J-1 visa that transitioned to an H-1B,” he said, referring to the J-1 “Exchange Visitor” visa that allows foreign students to get training in the US, and the H-1B visa, which is for temporary employment.Click here to share on social media
• 2h ago (16:50 GMT)Poll shows stark difference in gender voting preferencesThere is a major gender divide in the presidential race, with more men preferring Trump and more women preferring Harris, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll.Trump, the poll shows, leads male voters 54 percent to 45 percent. while Harris leads women voters 55 percent to 43 percent.The trend tracks with divergent attitudes between men and women about the presidential candidates’ abilities and policy priorities.Men are more likely to view Trump as a strong leader (64 percent to 50 percent), while women are more likely to say Harris has the right “mental and cognitive health” to be president, according to the poll.Among those who view the economy as a major factor, Trump leads 56 percent to 43 percent. Among those who see abortion as a key issue, Harris leads 70 percent to 28 percent, according to the poll.Click here to share on social media
• 2h ago (16:35 GMT)Harris unfazed by claims of Trump-Netanyahu talksAsked by reporters whether claimed talks between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could threaten the current US government’s aims in the Middle East, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said “No”.Trump earlier this week said he speaks often with Netanyahu, claiming the Israeli prime minister “wants my view on things”.In a separate interview with CBS News’s Face the Nation, Harris said the US was “prepared to defend Israel” when asked what the message to Iran would be after Israel’s attack on the country.“But the critical point is that there must be a de-escalation in the region, and we are working through diplomatic channels and other channels to ensure that there is a de-escalation in the region,” Harris said before adding that it would be a mistake for Iran to respond to Israel’s attack.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands with former US President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US. September 15, 2020 ]Tom Brenner/Reuters]Click here to share on social media
• 2h ago (16:25 GMT)Vance assures Trump presidency would ‘honour NATO commitments’In an interview airing today with the CBS programme Face the Nation, Vance addressed the US’s relationship with NATO, which Trump has been critical of.Vance said the US would “of course… honour our NATO commitments” under Trump. “But”, he added, “I think it’s important … that we recognise that NATO is not just a welfare client. It should be a real alliance”.Trump previously warned he would not defend NATO members that failed to meet defence spending targets, and would even “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to alliance countries he deemed “delinquent”.NATO announced in June that a record 23 of the 32 member nations were reaching the alliance’s defence spending target – two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) – this year. That’s a nearly fourfold increase from 2021, when only six nations were meeting the goal.Donald Trump was adamant that NATO member states increase their spending during his time as US president [File: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters]Click here to share on social media
• 3h ago (16:15 GMT)Vance says ‘I don’t want war with Russia’A series of TV interviews with Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance have aired today.In one interview with the NBC programme Meet the Press, Vance was asked if Russia is an enemy of the US.“We’re not in a war with him, and I don’t want to be in a war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia,” Vance responded. “We have to be careful about the language that we use in international diplomacy. We can recognise, obviously, that we have adversarial interests with Russia.”Trump, who has spoken positively of Putin and threatened to cut aid to Ukraine, says he will end the Russia-Ukraine war “within 24 hours” if elected.Previously, Vance has said Trump’s administration would achieve this goal by opening negotiations with the Kremlin, Ukraine and European stakeholders, with an eye towards achieving “a peaceful settlement”.Click here to share on social media
• 3h ago (16:05 GMT)Where do things stand in the swing states?Seven US swing states are likely to determine the outcome of the election.According to the latest polls, Trump holds a narrow lead in five of these states—Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania – while Harris has a slight edge in Wisconsin and Michigan.In all seven states, however, the candidates are within two points of each other, well within the polls’ margins of error, leaving each state a tossup with just nine days until the final vote.https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/3hOEf/35/Click here to share on social media
• 3h ago (15:55 GMT)Campaign tension between Biden, Harris teams: ReportUS President Joe Biden hopes to hit the campaign trail for Harris in the final race to the November 5 election, but Harris’s team is wary of spotlighting the former president, who it views as a “political liability”, reports Axios.“He’s a reminder of the last four years, not the new way forward,” Axios cited one informed source as saying.Harris and Biden currently have no joint campaign events on the calendar ahead of the election.Biden, 81, dropped out of the presidential race on July 21 after mounting concerns about his health and a poor debate performance against Trump. He is the first incumbent president not to seek a second term since 1968.Click here to share on social media
• 3h ago (15:45 GMT)Photos: Harris rallies worshippers at Philadelphia churchDemocratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks at the Church of Christian Compassion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 27 [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]Harris waves to attendees at the Church of Christian Compassion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 27 [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]Harris supporters attend the church gathering [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]Harris is seen at the Church of Christian Compassion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 27Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]Click here to share on social media
• 3h ago (15:35 GMT)Harris speaks at Philadelphia churchThe Democratic presidential candidate has given remarks at Philadelphia’s Church of Christian Compassion, urging worshippers to get to the polls to make their voices heard.“In just nine days we have the power to decide the fate of our nation for generations to come,” said Harris, in comments carried by CBS Philadelphia.“Here in Pennsylvania, right now each of us has an opportunity to make a difference,” she said. “The great thing about living in a democracy is we the people have the choice to answer that question. So let us answer not just with our words, but with our works.”Click here to share on social media
• 3h ago (15:25 GMT)What do the polls show us about the presidential race?The contest between Harris and Trump is close – very close. The FiveThirtyEight website’s tracker shows Harris polling 1.3 percent ahead of Trump nationally, but that margin won’t leave the Democratic presidential candidate feeling secure.According to the poll tracker, around five percent of voters are undecided – and these are the voters both campaigns will now focus on.A poll released on Saturday by Emerson College Polling showed the race even tighter – with both candidates at 49 percent, giving Trump one more percentage point than he had in a poll released by Emerson a week earlier. The poll also indicated that more people believe in a Trump win over Harris – 50 to 49 percent.“Male voters are breaking for Trump by 13 points, 55 percent to 42 percent, a larger margin than in 2020, while women break for Harris by 10 points, 54 percent to 44 percent, underperforming Biden’s support in 2020,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.Meanwhile, in a New York Times/Siena College poll released on Sunday, 76 percent of voters believe that US democracy is currently under threat, while 45 percent believe that it does not do a good job of representing the people.https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/tUYmr/37/Click here to share on social media
• 4h ago (15:15 GMT)Podcaster Rogan says difficult to ‘corral’ TrumpTrump appeared on the popular Joe Rogan podcast Friday, holding a three-hour discussion that covered everything from Trump’s regretful hires during his first term as president, the assassination attempt against him, nuclear proliferation, economic policy and more.The episode has been viewed more than 26 million times on YouTube.Reflecting on the podcast, Rogan said: “It’s hard to corral him [Trump]”. He talks. He’s a gifted talker. He can just talk. You never have to worry about him running out of things to say. Sometimes he talks himself into corners and then he talks his way out of it.”“I don’t know him other than the three hours I talked to him when he was trying to be at his best,” he told fellow podcasters Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen.Rogan also noted he would like to have Harris on the podcast and “have a conversation with her like a human being”.Harris campaign spokesperson Ian Sams has said Harris is unable to appear on the podcast “right now” due to scheduling conflicts.Click here to share on social media
• 4h ago (15:05 GMT)‘Not a normal time’ for Arab-American votersArab-American voters, who typically favour Democrats, have been turning away from the party due to frustration with US support for Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon.A recent Arab News/YouGov poll found that Arab-American support for Trump (45 percent) slightly surpassed that for Harris (43 percent), with more respondents also seeing Trump as more likely to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict“This is not a normal time,” Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, told Al Jazeera. “I certainly don’t think it’s a normal time for Arab-Americans who have been, for a long time, keenly aware that US policy in the Arab world has not done a very good job for the Arab population there nor has it actually improved our own national security interests here.”Watch Berry’s full interview on Al Jazeera’s Centre Stage here:https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.674.1_en.html#goog_1442244696Play VideoVideo Duration 22 minutes 46 seconds22:46US election 2024: the Arab American realityClick here to share on social media
• 4h ago (14:55 GMT)Where were Harris and Trump on Saturday?Both candidates started the weekend in Michigan – and there’s a reason for that.The Midwest state is incredibly important in this election – it’s likely going to be one of the few states that will decide who wins the presidency.Traditionally the state’s union workers, employed in manufacturing and other industries, allowed the Democrats to emerge victorious in elections, but a win in Michigan in 2016 for Trump showed that it was no longer a safe “Blue Wall” state. President Joe Biden won the state back in 2020, but only by a thin margin – and it’s likely to be close this time, too.Harris and Trump hosted competing rallies on Saturday, with the vice president in Kalamazoo, and the the former president in the Detroit suburb of Novi.Harris was accompanied by former first lady Michelle Obama, but – in a perhaps surpising move that shows how much things have changed since 2016 – Trump brought on stage several Muslim and Arab leaders who endorsed him, as the Republican candidate makes a play for Muslim American and Arab American voters in Michigan, where they make up a sizeable minority.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.674.1_en.html#goog_179170260Play VideoVideo Duration 01 minutes 43 seconds01:43Trump courts Muslim voters as Kamala Harris holds rival rally in MichiganClick here to share on social media
• 4h ago (14:45 GMT)Harris says reproductive rights ‘first priority’In an interview with CBS, Harris said her first priority as president would be to re-establish access to abortion, which has been banned or severely limited in numerous states since the repeal of a ruling that had permitted the procedure nationwide.“My first priority is to put back in place those protections and to stop this pain, and to stop this injustice that is happening around our country”, Harris told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell, claiming that Trump would seek to further restrict abortion.In 2022, the Supreme Court, three of whose justices were selected by Trump, overturned the longstanding 1973 Roe v Wade case that had enshrined a national constitutional right to abortion. This opened the door for individual states to ban the procedure and roll back reproductive rights.Harris said: “I support Roe v Wade being put back into law by Congress, and to restore the fundamental right of women to make decisions about their own body. It is that basic.”Abortion is still a key issue across the country, particularly for women. It was a big driver of support for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections, and the party will be hoping that it will motivate people in these elections, too.Click here to share on social media
• 4h ago (14:35 GMT)Why is Trump campaigning in New York?New York is a longtime Democratic stronghold that Trump’s campaign team does not expect to win. So why is he spending time there – and straying from battleground states – so close to the election?Trump’s New York rally this evening, taking place in the world-famous Madison Square Garden, guarantees him wall-to-wall coverage and a national audience.“He’s not just going to be speaking to the attendees inside Madison Square Garden. There will be people tuning in from battleground states all across the country,” said former US Congressman Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican and ally of the former president, who said Trump has been talking about holding an event at the venue since the start of his campaign.And on top of that, for Trump – born and raised in New York – the rally serves as a homecoming at a prestigious venue for a man who became famous for his entertainment skills as much as his business acumen.Trump is expected to begin his speech at 5pm (21:00 GMT).Signs are placed on seats on the day of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, at Madison Square Garden, in New York, October 27 [Andrew Kelly/Reuters]Click here to share on social media
• 4h ago (14:25 GMT)Where will Harris and Trump be today?Donald Trump is taking his campaign to his native New York today, holding a rally in the Big Apple’s iconic Madison Square Garden.The rally, scheduled for 5pm (21:00 GMT), will also feature Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, and key surrogates, including Elon Musk.Kamala Harris, meanwhile, is spending the day in Pennsylvania, the most important of seven swing states where polls are especially tight.She will make numerous stops in Philadelphia, including stops at a Black church, a youth basketball facility and a Puerto Rican restaurant. It is her 14th visit to the Keystone State since she gained the Democratic nomination.Click here to share on social media
• 5h ago (14:15 GMT)Welcome to our live coverageThank you for joining us for our live coverage of the United States presidential election.With just nine days to go until Election Day, candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris remain neck and neck in battleground states likely to decide the outcome.Early voting continues nationwide, with more than 40 million ballots cast so far. Trump and Harris are racing to make their final pitch to voters.You can find all our updates from Saturday, October 26, here.Follow this live page as we cover the latest news and developments.Click here to share on social media

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA